Heartfire
by Driver3196
Summary: What if Chandra hadn't gone to Dominaria after facing Bolas on Amonkhet? What if she had gotten wrapped up in a new adventure entirely? Find out what would happen to Magic The Gatherings favorite pyromancer as she makes new friend and enemies throughout the multiverse. Rated T for language and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Making New Friends**

"No . . ." Chandra coughed, and there was blood in that cough, red drops that sprayed onto the broken rubble below. She tried to steady herself, resisting the urge to vomit. _Where is Gideon?_ She swiveled around to look for him and realized she was seconds away from passing out.

Nissa yelled at her again. "Go! I will be fine! You'll die! Go!"

Chandra couldn't find Gideon. She couldn't save Nissa. She couldn't beat the dragon. She couldn't even stay conscious.

_If I stay here, I will die._ She didn't want to die. She planeswalked away in a fiery blaze, the only trace left of her presence the blood that stained the broken rocks as it, too, evaporated under the fiery heat.

* * *

Chandra tumbled through the Blind Eternities, landing on a random world. The first thing she noticed was the cold, followed swiftly by the pain. She regretted leaving Nissa and Gideon alone to face Nicol Bolas, but what choice had she had? If she hadn't left, they would have been fighting him alone all the same. At least she had given herself a chance to recover and train, hone her skills so that the next time she faced the elder dragon, she'd be ready.

Attempting to stand, the pyromancer was given a sharp reminder of her broken ribs. She dared to take a step forward, and only accomplished filling her vision with black spots. Seeking help here was near impossible, and planeswalking somewhere where people would be able to help her was out of the question. Chandra collapsed, discovering the primary reason for the cold. She was surrounded by snow. She shivered and started to curl up into a ball, but the pain in her chest quickly stopped that action. Perhaps staying behind on Amonkhet would have been better. At least death at Bolas's hand would have been quicker than the agonizing cold of whatever this place was.

As Chandra's body began to grow numb, her mind also began slipping in and out of consciousness. She attempted to stand up once more, and that was the final straw, sending her unconscious body to the ground.

* * *

When Chandra woke up, she was laying in bed. Looking around, the environment was unfamiliar. There wasn't much in the small room, only the bed she was laying in, a few oil lamps, and a chair that was occupied by a man. He looked roughly her age, maybe a few years older, with chestnut hair draping over his shoulders and the faint wisps of a beard on his jaw. He wore black boots, blue pants made of a material she had never seen, and a black, sleeveless tunic that showed off his toned arms. He also wore brass gauntlets on his forearms.

The pyromancer started to sit up, and the pain that shot through her reminded her of what had happened to bring her here. At least, to this world, as she still wasn't sure of how she got in the bed. Looking at herself, she saw that her armor had been removed, leaving her wearing only leggings. Her chest had been wrapped in bandages, and she could see that she was covered in several bruises, but that appeared to be the extent of the damage.

Attempting to shift to a more comfortable position, she grunted in pain. This caused the man in the chair to stir. He grunted a bit as he stood up, and then turned his full attention to Chandra. He was a stocky man, standing about five foot eleven. Now that they were open, the pyromancer could see that his eyes were a deep blue with flecks of amber, and both were trained on her. He cleared his throat. "You're awake, good. Can you stand?"

"Who are you?" Chandra asked. "How did I get here? And where is _here_, anyway?" The man chuckled.

"The name's Jason Thuul, pyromancer. I found you passed out in the mountains, badly injured and a few hours out from freezing to death, so I took you back here, warmed you up and patched you up. This is my home. You're currently in my bed."

"Okay, but where is _here_? What plane is this?" Jason gave a slight look of surprise before releasing a hearty laugh. Chandra was confused.

"You're a planeswalker. That explains a lot. This plane is called Baath. Very cold, rich with metal of all varieties. Great for artificers. Not so much for reptiles. Pretty much, if you were born on Kaladesh, can easily build a fire, and are trying to escape say, I don't know, a dragon, this is practically a utopia." Now it was Chandra's turn to laugh, but that quickly gave way to more pain and a coughing fit.

"You pretty much just described my situation." She held out her hand. "Chandra Nalaar, pyromancer." They exchanged a handshake, and Chandra tested his skill with the magic he claimed to have. Her hand lit on fire as their palms connected, and Jason didn't seem to notice. As they pulled away, the man made a slight gesture, and the fire in Chandra's hand jumped to his. His eyes glowed a vibrant orange as the fire licked up to his elbows, and then was extinguished just as quickly.

"Is that what you were wanting to see?" he asked. The female pyromancer could only nod. "You need rest. I'll go fix something for you to eat, and I'll be back later. When that happens, I want to know what exactly happened that got you caught up in the mountains." He didn't even wait for a response before he left the small room. Not feeling like she had the energy to chase after him, Chandra just went back to sleep.

* * *

Chandra woke up some time later. She still felt sore, but she didn't have the biting pain she did earlier. Climbing out of the bed, she saw a fresh set of clothes laid out across the chair. A white tunic and grey pants that were made of a strange and soft material that was actually very warm and incredibly comfortable. She walked out of the room and was greeted by a whole new environment. On the left, there was a workbench covered with miscellaneous tools, scrap metal, and various half-finished devices. To the right, there was a small kitchen, including a table with a couple of chairs around it. Jason was standing in front of the stove, clearly cooking something. A small device sat on the counter next to him, playing strange music. It sounded like he was humming along with it. The young woman cleared her throat to get his attention. "I see you're awake," he said, still focused on his cooking.

"Yes, and I have a few more questions."

"Well, first, you tell me what you were doing before you arrived, and I'll do my best to answer your questions. Also, breakfast. You must be starving." Chandra hadn't really thought about it, but as he mentioned food, her stomach began to rumble. She sat down at the table as Jason started scraping eggs onto the plates he had set out. He sat down, passing her one of the plates, and began eating. She just poked at the food, not really feeling like eating. "You waiting for permission? Because if so, please, dig in," he said with a smile.

"I'm not hungry," she responded, but her stomach growled louder, betraying her.

"Doesn't sound that way." Realizing that it would be better for her, Chandra reluctantly began eating. The eggs actually weren't that bad. A little burnt, but what else would you expect from a pyromancer using what looked like a second-rate stove. "So, what happened to cause you to drop yourself in the mountains, and severely injured as well."

"I guess it would start on Amonkhet. Ever heard of it?" Jason shook his head. "Well, it's a desert world full of dangerous creatures and horrors. The only surviving humans live in the city of Naktamun and were protected by five gods. Me and a group of my friends, we call ourselves The Gatewatch, went to this plane planning to confront the elder dragon, Nicol Bolas. He triggered an apocalypse on Amonkhet, and when we fought him, he defeated us. There were five of us in all. Jace and Liliana went first, and then I ran after taking several severe hits. Nissa and Gideon remained, I'm not sure what happened to them." Chandra started getting choked up and began to cry. "Sorry," she forced out through choked sobs. "I just, I-I'm worried ab-bout what happened to m-my friends." Jason just sat there, silent and shocked.

"You know, there are people who would look at what you did and call you a coward for running," he said at last.

"Is that what you think I am?" she screamed. "A damn coward?!" Her hair began to spark, and Jason knew what was coming next. "You don't know me at all!"

"I said there are people who would think that. I never said that's what I thought," he said cooly. "Personally, what you did was rather intelligent. It sounds like you and your friends picked a fight you couldn't win. You got injured, and probably would have died if you had stayed any longer, so you ran. Live to fight another day. It's not cowardice, it's pragmatic."

"And it looks like it was about as useful as bringing fire to fight a dragon." Jason opened his mouth to respond, but quickly decided against it.

At that moment, there was a light knock on the door. Jason went to answer it, and quickly returned, followed by an elven woman. She was roughly five feet tall, had fair skin, bright green eyes, and dark hair that cascaded freely down her back. She wore a form-fitting green dress that billowed out around the knees and was covered in ornamental metal and the occasional grease smudge. "You didn't tell me you were bringing a girl home," she said in a cool, suave voice. Jason rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, wasn't expecting to either. Chandra, this is Syllia Cramaer." He gestured to the elf, who gave a polite wave. "Syllia, Chandra. Chandra, Syllia."

"I apologize for my uncleanliness," Syllia stated. "I've been busy with a project."

"You're an artificer?" the female pyromancer asked.

"Yes, among other things. I come from a place called Kaladesh. Artificers are commonplace there."

"Believe me, I know all about that. I was born on Kaladesh too."

"Am I the only planeswalker in the multiverse to not have gone to Kaladesh?!" Jason asked. The two women just laughed. "I'm gonna go blow something up." He walked out of the building, and the sound of roaring flames could quickly be heard.

"He gets like this some times," Syllia said apologetically.

"No, I understand," Chandra replied. "I think it's just a pyromancer thing. How did you two meet?"

"My spark ignited when my invention was approved for the Inventor's Fair. I landed on a world known as Dominaria, where I met Jason. At that time, he was on the run from some mercenaries he had angered, and I offered to help him. He declined, until I mentioned having just come from a different plane. We hid together for a bit, discussing artificing techniques, and then planeswalked here. We've been here for a few months now. He's actually quite a brilliant inventor when he puts his mind to it."

"Did you ever learn where he was from?"

"Unfortunately no, though I did once make the mistake of asking. He ignored the question, and appeared to be rather upset with me for the following couple of weeks, once almost building an aether bomb." The elf smiled at the memory. "He's a good man. And I'm hoping you can make him better. If you stick around, that is." Chandra contemplated the offer. She wanted to get back out there, to find Nissa, find Gideon, and end Bolas. But she was in no shape to do so at the moment, and these people were being very hospitable despite not knowing who she was at all. Plus, a second pyromancer to train with would certainly be helpful. She decided to stay for a bit, and when she was ready, take them with her to see if they would join the Gatewatch.

"I guess the only question is, how long am I going to be staying," Chandra remarked. "Oh, and do you have another room. That could be an important one, too."

* * *

**I hope that you all enjoyed the first chapter of Heartfire. The three main characters have been introduced, and the main plot will begin developing soon. I'm making this because Chandra is my favorite planeswalker and I want to give her more of the spotlight. And yes, the first section was just copied and pasted from the Hour Of Devastation story. If you like what you're reading, please remember to review. Until next time, Driver Out.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Everyone Has Their Demons**

The angel had held many titles: Magister of Power, Curator of Mercy, Sentinel of Hope. But now, she was just called Eve. She was a rare specimen, being both angel and planeswalker. She had seen many worlds, and many churches that worshipped many different angels. She had witnessed the madness of the angels on Innistrad, the pureness of the angels on Dominaria, and had felt indifferent to both. With the ability to travel worlds, she did not feel the need to align herself with one institution, even if it was of her own kind. But were they truly like her? She didn't believe they were. Humans worshipped angels, but she was grander than most angels. She hadn't started this way, though. As with all planeswalkers, there was a time before her spark ignited. She was an ordinary angel on a plane long forgotten to both time and Eve herself. She had followers, a whole church, hundreds of humans that the world had entrusted to her to protect. One day, a human in her church had fallen ill, and she had failed to save him. His death crushed her, as she had failed in her sole duty to her world. And at that moment, her spark ignited, and she learned that she was greater than her world. Hundreds of years passed by, and she could not even remember the man's name. It was at that moment that she realized her true place, someone above all others. She was infinite and capable of travelling anywhere, she did not need to be bothered with the fates of insignificant lifeforms like the feeble humans. She was greater than them. She was greater than the most powerful dragons of Tarkir, greater than even the gods of the world of Theros. There was nobody greater than her, and she saw this, and said that it was good.

* * *

Jason had a fitful night. He had had a nightmare, the same nightmare he had been having for the past month. He was back on his home plane, back in his childhood home. His father stood over him, consumed in a frenzy of fear and rage. His mother and best friends cowered in the corner, terrified. The belt in his father's hand cracked down, and the pain rocketed through his body. He heard the man screaming about how he was a monster, about how he was an abomination of nature that shouldn't exists. Jason wouldn't take it, the fourteen year old by whirling around, hands glowing with heat. He roared as flames shot forward, consuming his father. Unfortunately, he was careless and paid no attention to what was around him, and the fire engulfed the entire building. A smoldering beam fell from the ceiling, trapping his friend. As the young boy screamed in agony, Jason realized what he had done, and he felt something light inside him, and he left the world.

As had become habit, the now twenty-five year old man bolted upright in a cold sweat, panting heavily. He had been trying forever to push that memory down, but each time it rose back to the surface. He had been called a monster, and that day, he had proved his father right. He had tried to distance himself from everyone, choosing to live on a plane that was practically uninhabited. The only exception was Syllia, who's spark had ignited when she was eight. She had refused to leave his side, and the now fifteen year old elf had become like his sister and his best and only friend. And now he had Chandra. He wasn't sure why he had brought her home. Usually he would just leave people there on the rare occasion that he did find them. But there was something different about her, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It could just be that she was another planeswalker, but he sincerely doubted that. Unable to come up with a reasonable answer, he just got out of bed. The sun had yet to rise, but he still got ready, showering and getting dressed. Stepping out of his room, he found the pyromancer that had been invading his thoughts standing over the workbench, attempting to assemble something. She was in a pair of jeans and a green tank top Syllia had provided, with her hair a tangled mess and the goggles she had been wearing when she arrived pushed up on her forehead. She grunted as she tried to unsuccessfully screw two pieces of metal together. "Need some help," Jason asked. The young woman jumped in surprise. "I've got some experience with inventing under my belt."

"I've never been good with machines," she shrugged. "My patience with them usually ends some time before my projects do, along with my fist colliding with someone's face."

"I take it you have a knack for getting into trouble."

"It's usually someone who deserves it," Chandra responded defensively. Jason only chuckled and raised his hands.

"So long as they don't collide with me, I'm good." The two stared each other down before Chandra snorted and they both broke down laughing.

"How is it you two have known each other for less than a day, and you're already acting like old roommates?" Syllia asked as she emerged from her room. Chandra shrugged.

"I guess I just have that effect on people," she suggested.

"I guess that's one possibility, though I can think of another," the elf said, giving Jason a cheeky wink, which caused him to turn as red as Chandra's hair. The younger pyromancer didn't notice the interaction as she turned her attention back to the small machine she was trying to build. "Breakfast anyone?"

"Hell yes, I'm starving," Jason said, sliding into one of the chairs in a single fluid motion.

"Save some for me if you don't mind," Chandra yelled back, not taking her eyes off the machine. "I'm going to see if I can get this damn thing to work." As soon as she said that, the device began shooting off sparks before bursting into flames. The young woman jumped back with a slight yelp. Jason groaned and waved his hand, pulling the flames over to his hand before smothering them.

"I think it's safe to assume that you didn't quite fit in with the general populous of Kaladesh," Syllia said with a smile. Chandra gave a half-hearted shrug and sat down.

"My parents were artificers. I figured I'd give it another shot. And as you can see, that's going wonderfully."

"Well, any skill takes practice."

"Hey, Jason, where did you learn artificing?"

"Learned it from an old man back on Dominaria, and a planeswalker I met around here about a year ago. Saheeli, I think is what she said her name was."

"Oh, I know her. She lives on Kaladesh."

"At this point, who doesn't."

"Well, you live here." Jason rolled his eyes at her comment. Syllia placed two plates of in front of the pair.

"Dig in," the elf said cheerfully. Chandra looked over her food while Jason poked at it with a fork.

"Syllia, you did the thing again," he complained.

"What?"

"I told you, I'm not a vegan. You fixed a damn vegan meal." He was about to say something else before he was cut off by Chandra spitting something out and coughing.

"Who's idea was it to cook a sponge?"

"I'll go find some sausage or something," Syllia groaned. "Besides, you two have a lot to cover, since Jason promised to help you hone your pyromancy, Chandra."

"He did?"

"I did?"

"Yes you did." And with that, the elf skipped off to the door, humming to herself. The two pyromancers looked at each other awkwardly. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Chandra broke the silence.

"Can I burn the sponge?"

"Be my guest," was all Jason had to say.

* * *

**Backstory and a new character. If you want more, be sure to review. Not that it won't come out, it will just come out faster. Until next time, Driver Out.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Angel's Fury**

A week had passed since Chandra had been found in the mountains, and in that time, she had grown to feel at home with Jason and Syllia. They shared stories with her, and her with them. She learned about a young walker named Moira Khan who had been here a few months ago, about a race of beasts that couldn't be stopped as they rampaged through the local crops until Jason discovered that they were mesmerized by fire, and about things from Jason's home plane. He introduced her to his favorite kind of music, which he called country. She got to listen to songs with names like _The Devil Went Down To Georgia_, _God's Country_, and _How Country Feels_. And to top it all off, she found herself enjoying them. The songs, the stories, the general company. She hadn't felt this at home even with the Gatewatch, and she was beginning to debate not returning.

Her condition had improved enough, and Syllia had said that it was okay for her to go into town. She and Jason walked down to the small village, remaining relatively silent most of the way. His breathing seemed to be quick, and Chandra wasn't sure if he just wasn't used to the walk, but given how long he said he had lived here, she decided it was probably something else, but she didn't want to pressure him on what it was. Of course, the young woman started getting bored and just had to break the silence. "What's the town like?" Jason shrugged.

"It's not much. Just a small settlement. Wood houses, an open-air market, a town square with a fountain that's always frozen, a blacksmith's shop, several farms on the outskirts, and I think the church is still up, but the blizzard last year caused it to take some serious structural damage, and it's been close to collapsing ever since. I think it might have been on its last leg a couple of months ago. If it's still standing, then that thing's been blessed or something." Chandra laughed, but the laughter quickly died down as they rounded the corner. There were several plumes of smoke coming up over the horizon.

"That wouldn't happen to be the blacksmith's shop by any chance?" Jason shook his head, and they both broke into a dead run down the trail, reaching the town in record time. When they arrived, the first thing they encountered was a mass amount of crops burning. Not sure of what had caused it, they continued into the village, and were greeted with a theater of horrors. Everything was on fire, people ran around screaming, and only stopped when something came down and slaughtered them. Chandra's hands clamped over her mouth in terror. Jason quickly brandished a small blade the he kept on his hip and ran into the fray. Not knowing what else to do, Chandra followed.

* * *

Eve didn't mind the death. She had seen enough of it. She didn't care that she was a righteous figure taking a life, for these people were impure. What annoyed her the most was the people who attempted to fight back. These people truly believed they could challenge someone as powerful as her, and she was glad to prove them wrong. Today alone, she had lost count of how many swords and pitchforks she had shattered, each one's wielder being killed moments after. She did not laugh at their deaths like the mad angels of Innistrad, nor did she mourn them. She was simply annoyed that they believed they could challenge a higher power. What she hadn't been expecting was for one of the humans of this world to coat her in flames. She turned around and saw a man standing below her, eyes aglow, hair ablaze, and fire pouring out of his hands and right towards her. "Pathetic," was all she said as she hit him square in the chest with a beam of divine light, sending him sprawling on his back. A young woman ran over to him, but Eve paid the pair no regard. This was a mistake, as the young woman roared in rage and and launched multiple balls of fire at her wings. Had she not had a brief lapse of vigilance, the blows wouldn't have affected her. But as it was, she felt flesh and feathers burn, and she fell to the ground.

* * *

It wasn't the fact that Jason had been hit, though, that did fuel her rage even more. It wasn't the fact that the angel attacked without warning or even that she didn't seem to have been provoked. It was the fact that she killed with no emotion, as if this place was just a means to an end, and Chandra wouldn't have that. She blasted the angel, and was satisfied as she fell to the ground with an audible thump. With the angel down, she turned her attention back to Jason. He was groaning and attempting to sit up. "No, let me help," she said. "That was a pretty bad blow."

"I've had worse," he grunted as he brushed bits of dirt and rocks off of himself. "I don't think we're getting those vegetables we needed," he chuckled to himself. Chandra gave him a wary smile.

"Let's just get you back home so Syllia can patch you up." She lifted him up and put his arm over her shoulders to help support him, and had her hopes dashed when she heard the angel cackling.

"I'll remember this, little one. I'll remember how you defaced a divine being, you and your impure magic." Jason turned to look back at the angel.

"Yeah, up yours too," he shouted as he pointed to the sky with his middle finger. He limped out of the village with Chandra supporting him, neither one noticing the white light growing in intensity behind them.

* * *

Syllia groaned as Chandra and Jason busted through the door. "Would it kill you to knock? Or at least leave the hinges in tact? And what happened to getting the vegetables!"

"Well, unless you enjoy charcoal stew, we weren't getting anything," Chandra shot back. "Besides, Jason's injured." Syllia's hands flew up to cover her gaping mouth when she saw the state her friend was in.

"What happened?" she asked quietly.

"He was impure," someone said from the door. "And I had to rid the world of him." An angel walked in, the same angel Chandra had blasted down in the village, only now her wings were back to normal, as if she had never been attacked. The redhead's hands started glowing and embers traced around them.

"Who the hells are you?" she said, her voice laced with venom and fury.

"I am Eve, the greatest of all creation. I am the one to judge what is impure, and the multiverse has plenty of impurity to offer." Eve brandished a sword. It was a short blade, only two feet long and an inch in width, but it glowed with holy light. She slashed at Chandra, who dove on to the table to get out of the way, destroying the piece of furniture in the process. She looked back in terror to see an arc of light passing right through where she had been standing. The angel readied her blade to strike Jason, who was laid out on a cot that Syllia had set up, but was stopped by the young elf shoving a knife between her shoulder blades. "I believed you could have been pure, little one. It appears that even divinity can be incorrect from time to time." She slammed the her blade into the ground, Syllia leaping out of the way in the nick of time. She stood up and stepped back into a blue-green shimmer as she disappeared.

Chandra had run over to Jason while Eve was distracted. "We need to go," she urged.

"Go where?" Jason asked.

"A different plane. We can't stay here. Syllia just left." Jason reached up and grabbed the music device from the workbench.

"Alright, how about Kaladesh. I'd like to finally see it."

"Kaladesh, sure. Let's go." Eve had turned her attention back on them and was preparing to strike. The two pyromancers clasped their hands together and planeswalked away in a fiery blaze, leaving the angel alone in the small building.

* * *

**Eve is officially the villain, the trio has been forced off of Baath, and Chandra's bringing a boy home. This is gonna get interesting. Until next time, don't forget to review. Driver out.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Kaladesh**

Pia had just settled down with a cup of tea. After her third cup of coffee that morning, she decided to switch it up, needing something to keep her going thanks to all the paperwork she had to do as the new Consul of Allocation. It felt like she had done as much work in the last month as she had in all the years as Renegade Prime. Sighing, she reviewed the forms Padeem had given her about a request from the League of Aeronauts. Not able to make it passed the first sentence without the beginnings of a migraine, she set the paper down, groaning as she held her head in her hands, and then jumped as she heard a rush of fire in her kitchen. Running into the kitchen, she found two people collapsed on the floor, panting heavily. One of them was a man she had never seen before, but the other one. . .

"Chandra? What are you doing here?"

The young woman looked up at her. "Hi mom. Long story. Can I tell you after a shower and a nap?"

"Wait, mom?" The man asked.

"The spare room is available, but there's only one bed," Pia said, ignoring the man's comment.

"Thanks. Come on, Jason. Need to get cleaned up, then I can show you Kaladesh." Chandra said.

"Will there be people?" Chandra hung her head and groaned at his comment.

"Let's cross that bridge when we get to it."

…**..**

After getting freshened up and taking five minutes to figure out the temperature controls on the shower, Jason sat down on the couch. "So, who is this man?" the older woman asked.

"First of all mom, no need to sound so accusing," Chandra began. "Jason, care to introduce yourself?"

"Uh, sure?" Jason replied nervously. Chandra's mother looked like she was ready to kick him out and scold Chandra harder than any flame could. "The name's Jason, Jason Thuul. Pyromancer, planeswalker, artificer, uh, that-that's about all that's important. Oh, uh, apparently pissed off a random angel who tried to kill us for showing up, so there's that."

"I understand that my daughter can get into pretty dangerous situations with what she does, saving the multiverse and whatnot, but what connection do you and this angel have to her?"

"Uh, I should probably explain this part," Chandra stepped in. "So, you remember how we were going to Amonkhet to face Nicol Bolas?" Mrs. Nalaar nodded. Jason leaned in closer, curious as to what happened since Chandra refused to give details. "Well, first we had to deal with a demon named Razekath and then an army of unstoppable undead soldiers and gods that killed four of the five other gods on the plane. We were already no match for Nicol Bolas, and even more so after having been worn thin by the hell he let loose that we got caught up in. After driving Jace and Liliana off, Gideon, Nissa, and I tried to fight him, and I got beat pretty bad. As much as I wanted to stay and help Nissa and find Gideon, who I had lost track of, I doubt I would have survived another go-around, so I left. Landed on a world called Baath and passed out in the snow. Jason can take it from here."

"Uh, yeah, like she said, passed out in the snow. I was up in the mountains checking a few of my bear and elk traps and clearing the main pass for travellers to get to the nearby town of Smitten. On my way back, I found her sprawled out in the snow with ice clinging to most surfaces of her body. I picked her up, took her back to my cabin, warmed her up and nursed her back to health. Well, Syllia did most of the nursing. I mostly just commented on when she was awake and attempted to teach her how to build things."

"Oh shit, where's Syllia?!"

"She'll be fine. She once survived for a month on her own before I was able to catch up with her."

"Sounds like she's rather resilient," Mrs. Nalaar commented.

"Yeah, she's a tough little thing."

"So, how long has she been with you?"

"According to her, two months," Chandra said.

"She tries to make me seem more interactive with people," Jason said quietly. "She met me on Dominaria during my one brief visit when she was eight, latched on to me, and has stayed with me since. She's fifteen now, so like seven years. This is the first time either of us have left Baath since we met."

"I wonder where she is now?" As if on cue, a blue-green shimmer rippled through the air over the coffee table between them and Syllia landed, slipping on a few stray papers in the process and falling with a yelp. All three of them moved to help her up.

"You must be Syllia," Mrs Nalaar said sweetly. The young elf nodded, a little dazed by her entrance. "I'm Pia, Chandra's mother."

"O-oh, wait. . . YOU'RE RENEGADE PRIME!" Syllia shouted in excitement.

"_Was_ Renegade Prime. Now I've taken over as the Consul of Allocation to help with Ghirapur's political reform."

"I've always wanted to meet you, but never had a reason to come back to Kaladesh."

"Back?"

"Yeah, I was born here. My parents were part of the renegade movement, smuggling aether and wanted citizens through various greenbelts to the safety of Shalia's Claim. They were killed in a fight against Consulate forces in Bomat while trying to get an artificer known for trafficking illegal constructs out of the city via river. That's when my spark ignited. I probably wouldn't have survived that day if Renegade Prime and her followers hadn't shown up at the last minute to stir chaos among the Consulate forces."

"Seven years ago? Yeah, I think I remember that. We had just really started gaining traction at that point. Bomat was the turning point that made the Renegades a household name."

"So after seven years, thank you. For saving my life." Syllia bowed, acting formal and polite despite the soot and mud covering her dress, face, and arms.

"You're welcome. You're also welcome to a shower and fresh clothes if you would like."

"Honestly, we just kinda ran," Chandra pointed out. "I think we all need something else to wear. Like, anything new."

* * *

A stroll through the Eleven Bridges marketplace and subsequent shopping spree later, and the four were seated at one of the cafes just outside of the Aradara Station. Jason seemed distracted every time a train pulled in or out. "Isn't that basically the same dress?" Chandra asked, looking at Syllia's new outfit.

"Well yeah. The dress I was wearing was the one I had when I planeswalked for the first time. I've just been taking care of it and adding fabric so that it would still fit as I grew. This one, being my actual size, is far more comfortable."

"Reminds me of Saheeli's dress," Pia added, "only green and blue with silver filigree instead of Saheeli's red and blue with gold."

"Yeah, it does, doesn't it," Chandra remarked.

"I know that it's the most noteworthy train in the city," Jason started, completely unrelated to the original topic, "but don't you think that the Aradara Express might be a little too flashy, possibly detracting from its function? I mean, take the banners for example. You would think they would increase drag and slow the train down, not to mention the massive amount of decorative metal that not only increases drag like the banners but adds extra weight."

"Well, if you feel that there is a design flaw, I am not the person to talk to about it. That would be Padeem, the current Consul of Innovation," Pia laughed.

"Eh, not worth it," Chandra shrugged. "Too many stairs to get to her office."

"Maybe you should consider it then," Syllia suggested, giving Jason a sly look.

"You really had to go there, didn't you," he sighed, getting up to leave.

"What was that about?" Pia asked, a little confused.

"He's a little sensitive about a few things," Syllia commented.

"Things like what?"

"Well, he's, how do I put this lightly? He's a little heavier than he would like to be. If you ask me, he's embarrassed about looking like that around Chandra."

"You think he has a crush on my daughter?"

"Well, working theory. He's not the most open person ever. But yeah, I could see that working out."

"I'm right here you know," Chandra groaned. "And FYI, I've known Jason for all of a week. We're becoming friends, but I don't think we're going that far, especially not this early."

"You never know. I'd keep an eye on him if I were you." Syllia gave a cheeky wink that only made Chandra's face match her hair. The young elf got up to go track down Jason, leaving Chandra and Pia alone.

"So, what caused you three to come here?" Pia asked.

"An angel."

"And what does an angel do that makes someone uproot entirely and run off to the homeworld of someone he just met?"

"Attack the locals for fun and then try to slaughter us in our own home for defending innocent lives."

Pia covered her mouth in a gasp. "That's. . . that's awful."

"All we know about her is that her name is Eve and that she wants to cure the world of impurity, which means basically everything."

"Well, it's certainly a good thing that she's stuck somewhere with very few people."

"Yeah. I'd hate to see what she could do to a large population willing and able to fight back."

* * *

"There you are," Syllia called out. A slender man in a dark suit leaning against the railing turned and gave her a confused look, his mustache twitching as his mouth pulled into a grimace. "Oh, wrong person. Sorry, thought you were someone else." The man grunted, turning back to what he was watching.

"Who ya bettin' on?" he asked in a thick cockney accent.

"Do what now?"

"Do ya know where ya are, girl?"

"Not exactly. It's been a hot minute since I was last in Ghirapur."

"This is the Ovalchase Racetrack. A new match is about to start. Latest addition to the roster arrived not but ten minutes ago, some tubby bloke with a shiny Fleetwheel. Ma bet's still on Rashi. That girl can drive."

"I think I might know who that new addition is. I've been looking for him for like half an hour now."

"The race is starting." Syllia had to stand on her toes to see the track, but Jason ended up being pretty easy to pick out, and took the lead surprisingly quickly. He seemed to be a natural behind the wheel, the only racer to stay with him a dwarf on an Aethercycle, likely Rashi. It took no time at all for Syllia to become fully enraptured, watching how seamlessly Jason and Rashi transitioned between accelerating, decelerating, drifting through the turns, and accelerating again.

"I never knew he could drive like that," Syllia said to herself. "Then again, I never knew he could drive in the first place."

"He's certainly got skill. I'd wager I'm losin' ma bet."

"You might be right." Syllia held out her hand to the man. "My name's Syllia."

"Commander Shorev," he replied, taking her hand and planting a small kiss on it. "But ya may call me Bal if ya like."

"What's with the kiss?"

"A man can't be a polite gentleman."

"Sorry, I just wasn't expecting it. What's a gentleman doing at a gambling event?"

"Even the most sophisticated of gentlemen can enjoy a little bit of dark fun every now and then. Though,I suppose an elf may not be as knowledgeable about these topics, no offense."

"None taken. Though, I grew up in a bit of a different environment than what you might expect. I did become friends with the daughter of one of the Consulate, so that might be a plus."

"Which power-hungry asshole did you happen to get in good graces with?"

"Pia Nalaar."

"Ah. I retract my previous comment. I wouldn't have a job if not for 'er. In fact, she's the reason I'm as high a rank as I am. She also makes one hell of a wicked chili. Enough peppers to melt ya face right off. I think I might still be feeling the bowl I had last weekend."

"I'll have to keep that in mind." Bal looked like he was about to say something else, but was cut off by the roar erupting from the rest of the crowd along with a small explosion. Turning to look at the track, they saw the Aethercycle, its front wheel missing, barely keeping up with the Fleetwheel, which looked just as dinged up. The rest of the vehicles were piled up in one of the turns, a flaming dragster clearly to blame.

"The race was over two laps ago," Bal commented, nodding at the holographic monitor. "At this point, I think they're just testing endurance."

"Knowing Jason, that doesn't surprise me. The monitor's new, though it has been a hot minute since I've been in Ghirapur."

"That's actually one o' three test models installed about two weeks ago. Somethin' recovered from the riot that was the Inventor's Fair."

"And that's something that never changes here."

"What is?"

"Bankrolling prototypes before they're even sure they can work for extended periods of time."

"Padeem has been pushing for more development. I swear, that woman is going to die of a heart attack soon. If not from old age then from the pressure she puts on herself." The two winced at the sound of scraping metal, then the deafening cheers. Onlookers began shuffling out as gamblers began exchanging money.

"Is it always this busy here?"

"Only on weekends. Oh, and the occasional Tuesday afternoon, but those gatherings aren't for the faint of heart, head, or stomach. Especially stomach."

"Hey Syl, I see you made a friend," a new voice said from behind them. The elf turned to find Jason, smiling and covered in soot.

"You appear to have had a pretty good time as well."

"They let you do what you want, don't impede on your ideas, and let you get an adrenaline rush while blowing off some steam. Kinda wish I'd discovered it sooner."

"That was some mighty fine drivin' you did down there," Bal complimented. "If you hadn't made it sound like that was your first time behind the wheel, I would have thought you'd been doing this since you were a boy."

"I learn quickly. Uh, I never got your name."

"Commander Bal Shorev, head officer of the Ghirapur Defense Legion, Bomat Division Seven. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. . ."

"Thuul. Jason Thuul," Jason replied, giving Bal a firm handshake.

"Not to sound rude, but what kind of a name is Thuul?"

"The kind you get when you have a great great granddad that got drunk in customs and thought it would be fun to pick the dumbest sounding name ever."

"Well, let us hope that you have a better sense of humor and alcohol consumption than your great great grandfather, mostly for the sake of your young elf friend. She is quite lovely."

"Can't decide if she gets better or worse when you get to truly know her."

Syllia paled at Jason's mischievous grin. "Uh, let's go with better for now come back to that conversation later." She rushed out.

"If she cooks, I hope you like sponges," Jason continued without hesitation.

"IT'S TOFU!" Syllia defended. Bal let out a hearty laugh.

"It seems the two of ya have quite the dynamic goin' on. No offense, but I doubt I would eat anything homemade that didn't come outta Consul Nalaar's kitchen. That banquet has spoiled me."

"I don't know," Syllia remarked. "Jason makes a pretty wicked stew."

"Assuming you got some bear around," the chef in question responded. "Though, I might be able to make due with elk."

"I would love to put that to the test. Tell you what, you make your stew and I'll see if I can get Consulate Nalaar to make her chili. Anyone there who didn't cook can test. Make a fun competition out of it, be a good chance to get to know each other better."

"Sounds great," Syllia beamed. "We're staying with the Nalaars-"

"We are?" Jason asked.

"-, so it wouldn't be too difficult to see if Pia is up for it. That would leave you, Chandra, and myself to taste-test."

"Sounds good. I'm not a difficult man to find, so you can fill me in on the status when you know. I look forward to it." And with that, Bal left with a wave.

"What did you just get me into?" Jason groaned.

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun!"

* * *

**Apologies for the hiatus. I started writing this story when I didn't really know how to write or plan a decent story. I now have a plan for this story, but had to work around the hole I wrote myself into. Don't worry, this story will still get updated, but the story is going to feel slower for a little bit. Until then, Driver out.**


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